Sheet-metal car member



E. I. DODDS.

SHEET METAL CAR MEMBER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1, I920- Patented May 9, 1922.

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ETHAN I. DODDS, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

SHEET-METAL CAR MEMBER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 9, 1922.

Application filed November 1, 1920. Serial No. 421,044.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ETHAN I. Donns, a citizen of the United States, and a residentof Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sheet-Metal Car Members; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in sheet metal members for railway cars, and

more particularly to such as are provided with corrugations forming strengthening ribs,one object of the invention being toso construct a sheet metal, corrugated car member as to avoid the stretching or ex panding of the metal when the same is subjected to the action of dies to form the corrugations.

A further object is to so form the corrugations, in a sheet metal ear member that the metal of the plate may be gathered in forming the corrugations and thus minimize stresses at certain points, and so that the wear on the sides and the power necessary to operate the same shall be reduced to a minimum.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a face view of a sheet metal car end showing an embodiment of my invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged view partly in side elevation and partly in section on the line 22 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a face view of a sheet metal car end in which the corrugations are disposed alternately on opposite faces of the same, and Figure 4 is an enlarged view partly in section on the line H of Figure 3 and partly in side elevation.

In the drawings, I have shown the sheet metal car end member built up of a plurality of sections having flanged edges 1 1 secured together, but if desired, the car end member may be made in a single sheet.

lhe sheet metal 1 is subjected to the action of suitable dies whereby transverse corrugations 2 are formed and caused to extend approximately from one side edge of the sheet to the other and the side portions of the sheet are provided with flanges 3 to receive fastening means.

In order that the stretching and conse qnent weakening of the sheet during the process of forming the corrugations shall be minimized, and so that the amount of power applied to the dies as well as the wear on the dies shall be reduced to a minmum, I so form the corrugations that each corrugation shall be tapering in width as well as in depth from one end to the other, and so that the tapering corrugations shall be alternately disposed, the large end of alternate corrugations being located near one edge of the sheet and the smaller ends of the other corrugations alternating with such large ends near the same edge of the sheet.

In the arrangement shown in Figures 1 and 2 all the corrugations project from one face of the sheet, but said corrugations may be so arranged that they shall project alternately from respective faces of the sheet as shown in Figures 3 and 4:.

While I have shown and described my invention as applied to a car end member, the same alternate arrangement of tapering corrugations may be applied to a sheet metal car side member, and the corrugations may be arranged either horizontally or vertically.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. A sheet metal car member having corrugations all of which extend approximately from edge to edge of said member, each of said corrugations tapering gradually in width and depth from one end to the other, the large ends of alternate corrugations being located near one edge of the sheet and the. smaller ends of the other corrugations alternating wit-h said large ends near the same edge of the sheet.

2. A sheet metal car member having corrugations extending approximately from edge to edge of the sheet, said corrugations tapering from one end to the other, alternate tapering corrugations being disposed reversely to the other of said corrugations, and said corrugations projecting successively from opposite faces of the sheet.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ETHAN I. DODDS.

Witnesses:

R. C. BERGSTROM, O. J. GRANDOHAMP. 

